


Found Family

by MaxCassius



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21967909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxCassius/pseuds/MaxCassius
Summary: Because of course Qrow would be sick for his first Christmas.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	Found Family

_"Finally, the little shit's getting out of here."_

_"Don't know why the boss just_ needed _to keep 'im all these years. Sure, he and the girl are good enough fighters but ain't we got enough swords? They ain't nothin' special."_

_"Special enough if they're actually infiltrating Beacon-fucking-Academy. If they want him, let 'em have the little blight."_

_"He's nothin' but a curse on everyone, no matter where he goes."_

"Qrow!" The sixteen year old groaned into his mattress at Summer's sing-song call of his name. Sure, he appreciated the wakeup call that jarred him out of his nightmare. He'd lived the place once, he hardly needed visitation in his dreams. Unfortunately - _story of my friggin' life_ \- the waking world wasn't looking a whole lot more enticing. With a pounding head and chills, he was definitely sick.

He'd been worried about that the night before, when they'd gotten out of class and he had first realized he felt off. Summer and Tai had been going on about this... winter solstice holiday thing for at least a month. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin it for them now, or Raven's first chance to experience it.

Managing to get his whole team sick would be a good way to do that.

"Go away, guys." Keeping his head tucked firmly under his pillow to shut out the sunlight flooding the room, Qrow didn't need to see to know the other two were there with Summer. He could feel it.

"I can't understand you, Qrow," Summer's tone was suspiciously innocent. Qrow had the inkling that his voice probably wasn't all that muffled. "Gotta come out." Slim fingers tickled cajolingly at the shoulder turned toward her. He felt his bed subtly dip as the petite team leader sat on the edge.

Before Qrow could object, Tai snatched the pillow out from under his arm. He was still for a moment, squinting in the sudden light. Giving in to the inevitable, the lanky teen rolled to face the room and propped himself up on his elbow, ignoring the corresponding throb at his temples.

Running his fingers through midnight black hair to push it back from his flushed face, red eyes fixed in turn upon the faces of each of his teammates, all exasperation with no bite. From Tai, leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, holding his pillow hostage so that he couldn't retreat, blue eyes more than a little smug behind blond bangs, to Raven, perched in the dorm window with one leg on the floor. His sister met his gaze with her own mirrored version, as though it were a challenge. And finally, over to Summer, giving him a smile that said she wasn't the least bit sorry for the bossiness. Her eyes though, the silver of a sharpened dagger without any of that chill, were empathetic.

"You gotta be stubborn, huh?" His voice was a little raspier than usual, and, to his surprise, Summer simply offered him a mug of tea.

Had she known? He could only imagine Raven had guessed.

His argument to push them away wilted at the gesture. He didn't really want to; he hated being alone, thanks to his semblance, Raven had been the only person ever willing to brave standing by him till now. And if he let himself admit it, he didn't really want to lay here and feel shitty by himself either, especially not after his memories of the Branwen camp masquerading as a nightmare deciding to pay a visit.

To go to sleep in an empty room like that now only invited more of the same. He took the mug gratefully and took a sip. The warmth did wonders for his head and the honey was good to his throat. "C'mon, guys," he pressed regardless, palming the warm ceramic in a less than steady hand. It was in their best interest. With him being sick, to be around him now would basically be a guarantee to catch it, and though with strangers, maybe he wouldn't care, but... this was his team. The first people outside of his sister to accept him and still willingly spend time around him after learning about his semblance. The curse of the harbinger of misfortune. "You've been looking forward to your plans for today for too long to give 'em up to sit around here and get sick with me." He pushed a knee against Summer's hip. "Go on."

The leader of Team STRQ shifted with the prodding from her significantly larger teammate, but she didn't _go_ anywhere.

"Raven already knew you were going down yesterday, bud," Tai said. It still weirded Qrow out that she was so good at that kind of thing, but he was more inclined to chalk it up to having known each other, shared a tent, training, a patrol, having done everything together for all of their existence than to call it a psychic twin thing. "Hate to break it to you but... this has kinda _been_ our plan since she told us."

Chuckling at the look on Qrow's face, Summer nodded, tucking faintly red tipped black hair back from her face. "That's exactly right." More earnestly, she leaned forward, hands on the bed as she searched his face. "We're more than a team, Qrow, you know that, right? I mean... friends, sure, but... what we really are is a _family_. We've got each other's backs, and we're not complete without any one of us. So no one gets left behind. That's just not how it works."

Too fast for his hazy brain to follow, Summer brought up a hand to rap her knuckles lightly against his forehead. "Whether you cooperate or not."

Qrow found himself intensely grateful for the fever he could only assume he had. As close as he was with his twin, Raven was hardly the soft, 'let's talk about our feelings' type. Unless it was anger or disdain. Those emotions his sister was quite comfortable with. Adjusting to Summer and Tai and their more open way of expressing themselves was going to take some real time.

"If you're looking for an argument, cut it out." Raven's sharp, no-nonsense voice cut through the haze. "Our minds are made up. Three to one, we win."

Qrow leveled a narrow-eyed stare at her. "Oh yeah? You sure you're not planning on jumping out the window?"

Raven didn't miss a beat, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "Only if Tai can't contain himself."

Tai crossed his arms and gave her his most offended expression, but both Summer and Qrow had to laugh, though his devolved into a light cough. It was true that since the Emerald Forest, the day of their initiation and team assignments when he'd stumbled upon her in the trail in the woods and made her his partner, Tai had been nursing the biggest crush on Raven. And he wasn't shy about showing it, but as for 'containing' himself... What Qrow had witnessed made him think of a puppy, running eagerly around her feet, more than anything. Qrow thought he was probably barking up the wrong tree, but for all of Raven's talk, she hadn't actually tried to kill him, yet... And if he ever got it into his head to _try_ anything... Well. He knew better than to think he needed to worry about his sister. Tai was a good guy. And he wasn't half as scary as Raven could be.

He knew from experience.

"You guys... sure?" he asked lamely, rubbing the back of his neck. Raven was right. He didn't have it in him to argue their decision. Not today. He didn't know if he could handle another Summer Speech, and Raven would _never_ let him live it down if he cried.

Sensing victory, Summer's smile grew wider and she clapped her hands. "Duh." Qrow couldn't stop the smirk that curled his lips. _Little brat._ "You think I had Raven help me snag a haul from the cafeteria for nothing? C'mon, look alive. Well. Much as you can, anyway. I bring food, drinks, and I got a little something for each of you."

As Summer shed some white rose petals in her wake, scurrying over to Raven's bag to dish out the haul, Qrow used the moment to cast a quick look around at his team.

This, he could believe, is what family should feel like. Summer had it right. They were more than a team. The bitterness and loneliness that had been with him when he had woken up were faded, now. Quieted by the people around him.

To hell with the tribe and their plan for him. _These_ people were real family. And he knew he'd do just about anything for any of them.


End file.
